We’re excited and awed by all that the Lord has done so far this year, but at the same time, we are feeling pretty weary.

In John 7:37, Jesus urged those who are thirsty to come to Him and he would satisfy their thirst. He said that from your innermost being will flow rivers of living water.

Unfortunately, there are times lately where it seems that my innermost being is not an overflowing river, but a dried up creek instead. I think this is what happens when your emotional bank starts to get empty.

Over the summer, we learned that our staff co-workers (Jason & Monica) were expecting their first child. Our excitement was tempered by the news that Jen’s sister was experiencing some complications in the third trimester of her pregnancy, which resulted in her being bed-ridden for the last 2.5 months of her pregnancy.

Wanting to help out as much as possible, Jen and I took weekend trips to Fresno to help her sister and brother in-law with their 16 month old toddler.

Not long afterwards, our staff co-workers began experiencing complications with their pregnancy.

As they began conducting tests to try to ascertain the problem, Jen & I became consumed with the busyness of ministry. Bible studies started, new students started getting involved and students were coming to Christ.

While there was much to rejoice over concerning our ministry, Jen and I still continued to struggle with our inability to start our own family. With friends and family members beginning families of their own, we have found ourselves with conflicting emotions: wanting to be excited for others but feeling disappointed at having to wait for a birth mother to choose us.

A few weeks ago, the staff couple with whom we work learned that their child has Down Syndrome. Almost immediately after hearing this, we found out that one of our ministry partners recently lost a child. Then last week, we returned home from Fresno to find that a prominent member in our church had passed away.

All of these events have made us very sad and weary. It’s a sober reminder that life is such a precious gift that I take for granted all too often.

In Philippians 4:11 Paul says that he has learned to be content in whatever circumstances he is in. I wish I could say that I have arrived at that point where I am content in all circumstances but I can’t. We’re simply in a process of learning to trust the Lord in all circumstances.

We want to thank you for praying for us as we journey through this process. Please continue to pray for us and our adoption plans. Pray also for our staff co-workers, Jason and Monica, as they prepare to become parents of a child with Down Syndrome.

MINISTRY UPDATE

Last month, I shared with you an e-mail I received from a graduate student named Kirk and I asked you to pray for my meeting with him.

The Lord definitely answered your prayers. My meeting with Kirk went very well. I shared the gospel with him and he accepted Christ as his personal savior.

I continued to meet with Kirk for a few weeks to help him get grounded in some of the foundational truths of the Christian life. He is involved in a local church and is beginning to develop relationships with other Christians.

FALL GETAWAY

Our first ever retreat was a huge success. We were praying for 40 students to attend and we had nearly 80. Most students commented on how the retreat really helped them to feel like part of the group. Since the retreat, we’ve averaged well over 100 students at each of our meetings.